House of Commons Hansard #135 of the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was businesses.
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
I have the honour, pursuant to section 38 of the Privacy Act, to lay upon the table the annual report of the Privacy Commissioner for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2014.
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(h), this document is deemed to have been permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics.
Government Response to PetitionsRoutine Proceedings
Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre Saskatchewan
Conservative
Tom Lukiwski ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's responses to 12 petitions.
Greg Kerr Conservative West Nova, NS
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs in relation to Bill C-27, an act to amend the Public Service Employment Act, enhancing hiring opportunities for certain serving and former members of the Canadian Forces.
The committee has studied the bill and decided to report the bill back to the House with amendments.
Guy Caron NDP Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC
moved that the second report of the Standing Committee on Finance, presented on Tuesday, December 10, 2013, be concurred in.
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
Debate? Is the House ready for the question?
Is the hon. member for Winnipeg North rising on debate?
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
This is the concurrence motion for the second report of the Standing Committee on Finance.
Debate, the hon. member for Winnipeg North.
Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB
Mr. Speaker, I want to take the opportunity because in the last few days we have had a number of reports that have been concurred in. There is a great deal of curiosity as to why we have reports being concurred in, and a great deal of concern with regard to one report that I have been hoping will be concurred in, which is dealing with the procedure and House affairs committee.
After a report comes through committee, it has to then come into the House. The concurrence then is somewhat obligated, and it is important that all reports be concurred in.
I believe there is an issue in recognizing the importance of our standing committees, and I want to provide comment on the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.
We are supposed to be having committee meetings. We have literally lost hundreds of hours of committee meetings, because the New Democratic Party continues to deny consent for concurrence in the procedure and House affairs committee report No. 18. That is having a very profound impact on the work of this Parliament, and that is one of the reasons that I stand today to recognize the importance of the report. Therefore, I move:
That the motion be amended by inserting before the words “be concurred in” the words “and the 18th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs”.
I will sign the amendment in the hope that we will be able to get it passed today.
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Mr. Speaker, not only did the member not speak to the report that was before the House, but he is also trying to add additional reports. He is combining a motion for concurrence in one committee report with a motion for another. That is not something that is practised in this House.
Peter Van Loan ConservativeLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, while there may be a legitimate question of relevance in terms of the amendment, it certainly would be in order were the amendment to go by unanimous consent.
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
I do find that the amendment is out of order, and I will not allow it.
We will go to questions and comments. The hon. member for York West.
Judy Sgro Liberal York West, ON
Mr. Speaker, I am quite curious as to why we are not going forward with this. We are here to work, and that is what this is all about.
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
I am not sure if the hon. member for Winnipeg North, since he is the one who tried to move the amendment, would be capable of answering the question. However, I might nonetheless enjoy the answer.
The hon. member for Winnipeg North, if he wishes to respond.
Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB
Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, the member beside me is asking me to go outside to make my comments.
The member for York West has asked the question, and obviously my colleague has been very offended by the question. The answer to the question is very simple, and I think that this is why he maybe got a little upset. That is the fact that the NDP appeared to be very lazy.
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
We had been getting along so well until then. I do not think that was a helpful remark from the hon. member for Winnipeg North. It certainly was not a point of order. He started off the response by raising a point of order.
I see the hon. member for Sudbury rising. I will give him the floor, but I think we should very quickly try to get off this particular point about the amendment. The Chair has already given a ruling and, as members know, the Chair's rulings on these things are final.
I will give the floor to the hon. member for Sudbury, and then hopefully we can move on.
Glenn Thibeault NDP Sudbury, ON
Mr. Speaker, I was referring to his taking it outside because, while everyone assumes that of someone from Sudbury, his comments were actually quite inappropriate, and he needs to remove that type of language from the House. This is the House of Parliament. If he wants to continue to act like a juvenile, he needs to do that outside.
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
I think the best thing for the House right now is to move on.
Is the House ready for the question?
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
The question is on the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?
Joe Preston Conservative Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON
Mr. Speaker, this should be fun. Again, if the House gives its consent, I move that the 18th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, presented to the House on September 30, be concurred in.
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
Does the hon. member have the unanimous consent of the House to propose the motion?
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to rise to present two petitions today.
The first is primarily from residents of Saanich—Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island, calling for a permanent ban on crude oil tankers on the west coast of British Columbia. This is particularly poignant and important, given the drifting Russian cargo ship that nearly went aground on beautiful Haida Gwaii.